Battery Recall of the week

[picch]

IBM gets the honors this week. Anyone wanna take a stab at who produces their batteries?

IBM and Lenovo are [0]recalling 168,500 ThinkPad
notebook battery packs in the United States and another 357,000 worldwide,
saying the Sony-made lithium-ion batteries can 'cause overheating, posing
a fire hazard to consumers.

[rjhill1]

Don't forget to add Toshiba to that list, especially considering they're recalling more laptops (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5390948.stm):

Lenovo is recalling 500,000 batteries, while Toshiba is calling back 830,000...At Japan's Toshiba, the recall involves its Dynabook, Qosmio, Satellite Portege and Tecra laptop models.

[dparm]

Okay, so which laptop batteries have NOT been recalled?

[dcv]

Heh - Sony is initiating a "Global Battery Replacement" program:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/28/sony-to-begin-global-battery-replacement-program/
http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=13456

Since when did battery recalls become the norm? Anybody else remember a simpler time when we didn't have to worry about our laptops exploding on our laps?

[dparm]

Well with laptops now outselling desktops, there were bound to be more problems. Granted, exploding batteries shouldn't be one of them, but I guess that's just life.

All I know is I got a free battery out of it.

[picch]

Compaq/HP hasn't recalled any batteries :(

[dcv]

Compaq/HP hasn't recalled any batteries :(

Oddly enough, neither has Sony...

//What, did they keep the good ones for themselves?

[rjhill1]

Compaq/HP hasn't recalled any batteries :(

I'm kinda torn on that fact...1) I like the fact that to the best of my knowledge, my laptop won't explode in my lap 2) I could use some new batteries.

[picch]

I'm kinda torn on that fact...1) I like the fact that to the best of my knowledge, my laptop won't explode in my lap 2) I could use some new batteries.


Exactly my thinking!

[dparm]

Fujitsu is recalling Sony batteries now:

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/04/fujitsu_battery_recall/


...with discussions of Acer starting a recall too.....

[dcv]

So - Apple, Dell, IBM/Lenovo, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Fujitsu have recalls, and Acer and HP considering it.

Who's left? Averatec? Asus?

[dparm]

Sony hasn't recalled their own computers IIRC.

[mah4]

no gateway? oh yeah gateway rocks!

[moser]

"Gateway said, 'Based on available information and our suppliers' input, we do not believe our systems are at risk for the same malfunctions that caused our competitors to issue battery recalls. It appears that a combination of factors led to the fault requiring the recalls, and this combination is not present in our systems. Gateway notebooks use different battery cells than those implicated in our competitor's recalls.' "

The source is a bit dated but it looks like Gateway may get away with it this time.

http://news.com.com/Fires+stop+with+Apple+and+Dell,+insists+Sony/2100-1041_3-6109460.html

[rjhill1]

Hot off the intarwebs (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5411996.stm), looks like you can add Hitachi to that list as well...ouch. :(

[dparm]

Dell, Apple, IBM, Lenovo, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Hitachi have all issued recalls. (Hitachi is only recalling 16,000)

It's up at about 7.5 million batteries. HP/Compaq, Acer, Sony, and Gateway are the only big companies who haven't issued a recall.

[picch]

Add HP/Compaq to that list that hasn't :(

Sony must get the good batteries and then ship the ones that fail QA testing out to....well....everyone else

[dcv]

Add HP/Compaq to that list that hasn't :(

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/02/recall-update-acer-consults-sony-hp-still-holding-the-line/

I give HP another week or two before they join in on all the battery-recall fun. Same with Acer.

IMHO, the only company whose image is being hurt by the recall is Sony's - the rest of the companies are coming off as mindful and responsible by recalling "potentially" bad batteries. Regardless of how true or not the perception is, companies that have used Sony batteries and AREN'T recalling them may end up looking irresponsible for leaving potential bombs out in the wild.

//yes, I know the odds of your battery exploding are worse than the odds of getting struck by lightning
//that doesn't change the perception that Sony batteries are dangeous

[dparm]

No way. Dell was the first big company to really publicize the recall, and they're taking a huge hit. All the big companies are.

It is in no way Dell's fault, but in the consumer's mind, it is.

Dell will lose customers/reputation for this.

[dcv]

Fujitsu and Sharp are altogether recalling another 79,000 batteries. Sharp is new to the game and recalling 28,000, and Fujitsu is adding to their current toll.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articleinvesting.aspx?view=CN&storyID=2006-10-13T134341Z_01_T83995_RTRIDST_0_TECH-JAPAN-FUJITSU-UPDATE-1.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna

[dcv]

Sony finally recalls 300,000 of their own batteries:

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/17/sony-recalls-300-000-of-its-own-batteries-delays-and-financial/

[dparm]

Toshiba may be taking Sony to court to cover the lost business and brand-name damage from this recall.

[dcv]

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/23/sony-recalls-340-000-batteries-in-second-wave/

There's not too much to add to this thread other than that Gateway is issuing a recall as well. So please, if your laptop is manufactured by:

* Apple
* Dell
* Fujitsu
* Gateway
* Hitachi
* IBM / Lenovo
* Panasonic
* Sharp
* Sony
* Toshiba

Check your manufacturer's website to see if your battery is on the recall list.

[jharriso]

/me wins.
MSI custom built white-book with a crappy CellExpert battery all the way. Woo.